Many types of couplings have been known for joining one vehicle to another for towing purposes, particularly in over-the-road types of vehicles where a powered vehicle such as a tractor tows an unpowered trailer vehicle. In the known types of coupling structures or products, the joining of the vehicles has remained a problem since it has been essential to position the two vehicles in precisely-aligned relative locations for the coupling members to matingly engage. This precise locating of the vehicles has been especially difficult where the trailer vehicle comprises a heavy house trailer or a boat trailer supporting a heavy boat, for example. In these situations, it is often necessary for two or more persons to manually move the trailer tongue bearing the connecting member into precise coupling alignment with the complementary coupling member on the powered tractor vehicle.
A serious problem in hitching a trailer to another vehicle is that it is difficult, where the trailer may be parked on an incline or uneven ground, to back the tractor vehicle right up close and in alignment with the tongue of the trailer. Even if the terrain permits bringing the tractor into close proximity with the tongue of the trailer, it is difficult to precisely align the first and second coupling members on the two vehicles respectively. Where the weight of the trailer is such that it requires a strong lifting force, such as a jack-wheel, to elevate the trailer tongue to place the socket member over a complementary ball member, the operation is not easily completed due to misalignment problems. Ordinarily, the alignment problem prevails, requiring two or more persons to complete the coupling by physically moving the tongue laterally and the socket up and over the ball for their interconnection. In this situation, the weight of the trailer frequently requires considerable lifting for the tongue to be lifted and aligned over the ball to place the socket in seated relation.